The Camry is...

...finally back in our possession!!



{Disclaimer - this photo is not of our actual car but a picture from Google Images!}

 If you've been following our car drama, today marked 38 day since Matt hit a deer and we've been using a rental car. Now, I must admit that the rental car was a pretty sweet ride - a black 2013 Buick LaCrosse with leather interior and all the luxuries you can think of! Actually I should add, we used  2 rental cars because we were initially told the car would be done when we were on vacation so we turned it in to keep from having to pay out of pocket for the extra days until we returned. When it wasn't complete upon returning from vacation, we had to get a second rental which happened to be another 2012 Buick LaCrosse.



{Disclaimer - this photo is not of the actual rental car but a picture from Google Images!}

 When Matt picked up the first LaCrosse from the dealership rental service, I believe it had 14 miles on it.  So, needless to say, he was kind of spoiled for the month.  I only drove the second rental for 3 days and that is because Matt left for a conference in Chicago on Wednesday and had to leave the rental with me as we thought the Camry was going to be done sooner than it was. {Today was the 7th estimate of when the car would be complete!}

As I stated in yesterday's posting, we are trying to focus on the blessings of this experience rather than the inconveniences we endured.  Just seeing today's bill for over $8,000 made my heart even more thankful.  The labor that had to occur to fix the damage was very extensive and I give thanks for the workers at Seller's Collision Center for restoring our Camry!

And finally, I can't believe I am about to say this...
I am ready for Matt to return with my mini-van!  I guess you can call me a soccer mom since I love my van and the way it makes traveling with a child easier and more enjoyable!  I am sure Matt is ready to have his car back too!

VRBO.com

When you tell someone you are going on vacation or that you just returned from vacation, everyone asks "Where did you go?" or "Where are you going?" Well, as stated previously, we went on vacation last week and I am going to tell you about the location today!
When we planned for my husband to have the last week of August off, we knew we wanted to soak up the last days of summer by the water.  This vacation week was also very special as it would be the 2nd Annual Family Vacation including my husband's parents, as well as his sister and her husband. We knew due to financial reasons and schedules, we needed to stay in the Midwest area.  Traveling Up North was highly recommended to us by many Michiganders as a favorite destination to go in the summer. Glen Arbor, Michigan was one of the locations recommended to my husband. A quick Google search had us viewing amazing photos of Glen Lake and we knew we had to find lodging so we could vacation there!  That is when we started searching on VRBO.com for a rental to sleep 7 in Glen Arbor, Michigan.

Click here to see the property listing for the lake house we rented last week.

If you are looking for a great search engine to find property to stay at on vacation or business, I highly recommend using VRBO.com {Vacation Rental By Owner}  We have used the site twice now to find housing; we rented a condo in LasVegas for the month of March as well as rented the lake house for our vacation last week.  It is a very user friendly resource.  You can search by location and dates needed. The property listing includes a description, photos, rate information, traveler reviews,a calendar to see availability and the opportunity to contact the owner.   I was also impressed with the VRBO.com customer service as I inquired about a property that didn't have any reviews and they communicated with me via email to confirm the property listing was a valid entry.  Overall, we are very pleased with this website and will definitely be using it if/when we have the opportunity to travel again!


{Disclaimer: I do not have an agreement to review VRBO.com.  All remarks are voluntary and shared because I find VRBO.com to be a useful tool.}

{gift giving} my momma's birthday card

My dearest mother celebrated her 63rd birthday in August. She claims it is just 'another day' but I tend to disagree.  I love to celebrate my birthday and the birthdays of loved ones.  Rarely have I been able to actually be in the presence of my mom on her special day in the last 8 or 9 years since her birthday usually falls during the week Illinois school begins and of course now that we live in Michigan it makes celebrations a bit more difficult.  With all that being said, I try to make my momma feel loved and appreciated from a distance.  The photos below document her special birthday card I made her this year.

car insurance

9.6.2012

It has been 37 days since my husband hit a deer on his way to work.  Thankfully, we have car insurance.

The car damage was estimated to be over $6, 100.  Although there was extensive damage, it did not total the car.  The process of getting it fixed has been an inconvenience, but we give thanks that the car can be fixed as it is completely paid for and we did not want to acquire another car payment if we had to get a new vehicle. We give thanks that we also have rental car coverage that has allowed my husband to have transportation during the last month.  Today is supposed to be the lucky day to return the current rental car and pick up our repaired Camry.  {I hope this is true as this is the 4th estimated completion date!}
Through it all, I am trying to keep a thankful heart and see the little blessings along the way!

{MWW} Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

I feel like this post is sharing a long-time family recipe...you know a favorite meal that gets passed down from generation to generation because it is so good and is made frequently to savor.  Okay, so that is not the truth about this meal as of yet but I have a feeling that from this point on, it will be passed down to our children and their children, etc. as a favorite meal. 
We were first introduced to Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas just last year.  Following the birth of our little love, we were blessed to receive meals through an organization I belong to. This meal was served to us by our friend, Meghan.  Husband fell in love with the dinner and insisted asked if I could get the recipe from Meghan.  Thankfully dear Meghan passed on the recipe and I've been making them {almost on weekly basis} ever since! I have served them to the in-laws, taken them to a potluck, shared the recipe at a "Recipe Party" as well as served them to a family in need.  My sister will be thrilled that I am finally posting this recipe as she thinks I have been trying to keep it a secret from her so she can only enjoy them at my house.
Wrong!  Without further delay, I present to you: 

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Slow Cooker

Oven 350 degrees

1/3 Cup Honey

1/4 Cup Lime Juice

1 TB Chili Powder

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1 lb. Cooked Chicken, shredded

Flour tortillas

Colby/Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

10 oz. Can Green Enchilada Sauce  
We prefer the Meijer brand

Cook the chicken in a crock pot on LOW for the afternoon.
{until chicken is no longer pink inside - 3 to 4 hours}

Shred chicken.  Place back into crock pot. {Temperature now off}

Add honey, lime juice, chili powder, and garlic powder to the chicken.

Mix well to coat chicken.

Pour about 1/2 of the can of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a
9x13 casserole dish.



Take a tortilla and place shredded cheese in middle.

Layer shredded chicken on top.  Roll.  Repeat.



Place full/rolled tortiallas in casserole dish with seam down.
Amount prepared will vary depending on the quantity of meat
included in each tortilla.





When dish is full and/or you run out of chicken,
pour the remainder of green enchilada sauce on the top of rolled tortillas.
Place remainder of the shredded cheese on top.

Safely place in oven.  Bake for 30minutes at 350degrees.
Serve immediately when temperature has cooled.

Thank you for reading today's post.  Please leave some lovin' if you make this recipe and let me know your family's reaction!

vacation

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daddy day - church as a family - sunsets - boat day - naps in a hammock - Glen Arbor- water skiing - walks downtown - Traverse City - mini putt - cookouts - fishing - canoeing - splashing in the lake - smores - fireworks - Tigers/White Sox game - apple cider donuts - feeding the ducks - Great Lakes State Fair - piglets - circus - sheep - chocolate milk - bubbles - park - fair rides - laughing - great outdoors -

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Giving thanks for a wonderful week of vacation with family!  My husband leads a crazy medical resident life schedule so when he actuallly gets time off, we try to make it as special as possible.  As we all know, time is precious so spend it with the ones you love doing things you enjoy. Our week had a good balance of fun as well as time to relax.  Husband was off from Saturday to Sunday - nine days of having daddy home was a dream come true for little love and I.  We were thrilled to have him with us all day long - sharing meals and adventures together; not waiting for a phone call that he was on his way home or going to have a late night.

I will be sharing more of our adventures in future posts. 

As always, thanks for visiting my blog!

friendships

8.23.2012
I am feeling very blessed this week with the opportunity to connect with some wonderful women.  My prayer since receiving the news that we were moving to Michigan for my husband's residency program has been that I would meet some genuine women to grow, encourage, and support one another during this season in our journey.  God has answered my prayers and has been confirming these special friendships in my life recently.  I am so thankful.